Gasoline rock drill



Feb. 16 1926.

J. V. RICE, JR

GASOLINE ROCK DRILL Filed June l5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u E l ma i citizenof-the United States, and resident of` 1oA y -in the 'iin roved gasoline rock drill.

Patented seb. 1s, 192e.

UNITED sTATEs 1,573,190v PATENT OFFICE. ,l

JO-HK v'V'. RICE, JR., Ol' BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '11'0A RICE PORTABLE ROOK DRILL CORPORATION', OI: WILHINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION Ol' DELAWARE.

GASOLINE ROCK DRILL.

` Application :nled June l5, 1922. Serial lio. 588,568.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN V. Rica, Jr., a

Bordehtown, in the county of Burlin on and StateV of New Jersey, have invente certain new .and useful Improvements in Gasoline Rock Drills, of which the following is a s ciiication, reference being had thereinto t e accompanying drawing.

This invention refers to an improvement neral class of h'drocarbon or gasactuate rock drills, an especially to the -particular subdivision of the general class commonly known as hammer or im act drills, and having as a special characteristic means for enabling the motor piston to de liver a succession of short. hard blows upon the end of the drill-carrying member, which latter corresponds to the iston-rod in other types of asoline rock drills, it being therefore notedv that primarily in the present case the piston and e drill-carrying member or -rod are distinct and unconnected elements and that the operation involves the reciprocation ofthe pistnmjteely-within the cyl-- inder in relation to the drill-carrying'inem-A ber, and the striking of a multiplicity of blows inside the cylinder.

In making the hammer type drill the primary subject of the present improvements I do not mean to exclude the other type where a iston-rod or drill-carrying member is rigidlyattached to the piston, because the invention can be easily adapted to apply to that form of drill, all as. will be clearly seen,

to the end that the best and most effective results in actual practice may be obtained, both types of drill being particularly useful in certain Ialternate locations and under certain conditions.

The invention, therefore, having in view the ends I have suggested, and made up of as few mechanical parts as possible, may be said to consist essentially in the construction, arrangement and combination of the' various parts, substantially as'will be hereinafter more fully described and then definitely and carefully pointed vout in the ensuing clauses of claim.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention: i v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my l igure 2 is acrossfsection' of the same on the line 2, 2, 0f Figure 1` f Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3, 3, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal section of the piston.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of one 60 of Figure 4.

' 1 denotes the main cylindrical frame of '70 the machine, which constitutes the cylinder of the motor. It is of the differential type and has the opposite ends 46 and 33, said end 33 having an venlarged portion 24 to which a casing 25 is united. In connection 75 with these parts a drill-carrying rod which corresponds to the ordinary piston rod, as 10, 1s carried by suitable means, made up of a multiplicity of various parts which cooperate in the production of certain results,

which I shall presently describe at length. Cylinder 1 has any suitable cooling appliance, for it may use water or other liquid, a fan, or any other effective cooling agent,

. but I preferably build it with a multiplicity of radlal fins or flanges 1 which cover more or less of the outer surface, so as to avoid some of the objections incidental to water jackets and the like, said flanges being properly proportionedl to provide the radiating surface necessary for the amount of heat generated in the operation When desired, though not necessarily, the cylinder l may be made in three or more parts that are joined closely together by means'of bolts or 95 other devices 1,7 and 18, so as to hold the parts together in a single cylindrical unit. But it will be evident that this construction may he widely departed from, and that I do lnot consider the trisectional or. other character of the cylinder as at all essential.

v Referring now to the cylinder members 33 and 25 and the appurtenant parts, it will be noted that I have devised special means for carryingthe drill-carrying rod 10 and allowing it to easily reciprocate under the impact of the iston blows thereon, and also the rod has t erewith a special construc-- tion of ratchet and pawl device, which will cause it to intermittently rotate in order to -110` i accomplish the necessary rotary shifting of the drill at the end ofeach stroke. The rod 10 is provided at a point outside of the cylinder with a drill choke 26, through and in which the drill, hammer, or other boring y, ror cutting implement is attached and held in the ordinary way, The outer ppl-'tion 24 of the cylinder head 33 is prefera 1y screwthreaded in order to allow a barrel member or cap 25 to be secured thereon, both parts 24 and 25 being screwed on an inne-r screwthreaded ring 31 which is packed at 32 around a section-40 of rod 10, on which part 40 the piston hammer 9 delivers its blows, said barrel member 25 carrying also within the same suitable other parts for making a tight joint upon the rod .10. On the rod 10 is a seriesof inclined or spiral ribs 28, which engage corresponding grooves in the interiorpart of a ratchet wheel 27, which is loosely mounted upon the rod 10 inside of thebarrel extension 25. The teeth of this wheel 27 are engaged by series of flexible pawls that 'are-mounted? in the part- 25 and t-he details of which are clearly indicated, not only in Figure 1, but more fully and on a larger scale .in Fi ure 3. These pawls comprise pins 29 having teeth that engage the teeth of the'ratchet wheell 27, and are located in Aradial slots in the ringportion 25 of the barrel extension. These pawls 29 are controlled as to their radial movement by means of pins 47 fast in the ring 25 and passing through slots in thepawls 29'. Further, these pawlst 29 are urged inwardly so that their teeth may press against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 by means of springs which are inserted between the ends of they 4pawls 29 and the screw caps 30 that are screwed into interiorly screwthreaded projections on the outside surface of the ring 25 and are therefore easil accessible from without and are adjust-ab e as desired for regulating the tension of the springs and therefore graduating the grip of the pawls irl relation to the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2 It will be evident that as the rod 10 reciprocatesin one direction it will pursue a rectilineal movement without rotating, while at the next reciprocation it Will not only pursue a rectilineal movement but will also rotate to a greater or less extent and will be held from rot-ating backwardly by the der 1. The middle and larger portiorijof cy move forward in a straight line on one reciprocation,without rotating, while at the next reciprocatlon, usually on the back stroke, it

.twill not'only pursue this straight line movement but rotate to a greater or less extent, in

order to accomplish the necessary rotary shifting of the drill at the end of each stroke, in like manner and for the same purpose as is the customary operation with rock drills.

lVithin the cylinder 1 is a differential piston, which is free to move in one direction or the other under the expulsions of a gaseous -mixture and which is entirelyalis` connected from any other element and is free'and clear of the rod 10. The'solid end 9 thereof opposite to the head 40 of the rod 10 acts as a hammer and strikesa succession of blows against the head 40 of the rod 10 and forces the rod and the drill imple-ment carried therebyforwardly, as I have already explained, the return movement of the rod 10 result-ing each time from the action of the rebound of the parts. The hammer 9.

isengaged by a pin 49 in the .Wall of the cylinder and` this device keeps the piston As already stated, the bore has a smaller diameter at the endslin sec tions 46 and 33 than' in the middle portioii its differentialcharacter inptliis respectfco ,Y responding with the dilferentialshape'of the i piston which reciprocates within thcf cf'l" ,l1/as a straight groove 48 cut` therein, which `90 from rotating and also causes its travel in' -each dlrection to 'be limited.'

inder 1 furnishes the two explosion" bers A and B, between'f'and in whichfthe widest part 8 of the piston operates, while inthe left-hand end of the piston andfb'e` tween the head 43 of the piston and a central partition 3 is the chamber C for the primary compression of the mixture onl the left-hand or up stroke, and in the right-hand end of the piston, or between the central partition 3 and the lower piston head 44, is' another chamber D for the primary compression of the charge on the right-hand or down stroke of the piston. The upper or left-hand head 43 of the piston is preferably made as a part of a movable screw sleeve 4 which is screwed int-o or otherwise applied to the an exterior middle 'portion 8 of larger diamf eter than the sections 2 andv 5-that are between said middle portion 8 and the lefthand head 43 and right-hand-head 44 respectively, "said section 2; having an interior pril ber B,

1,57a,veo

- mary compression chamber C, and said sectlon pifhaving also an interior primary A compression chamber D. The section 2 beyond maximum size, will have its-ports 22 opening into the circular supply rt 19, so that said chamber may be filled with a fresh charge of ead 43 has an open-ended sleeve-like exten\,gas through ports 22, which will be. comsion 45 in which sslides and screws the sleeve 4 carrying head 43 and bearing 50 there being preferably this arrangement o rts, and the section 5 of the piston below head 44 'having a solid hammer extension 9 that slides in the end of cylinder 1, beyond chamas already explained, and delivers its blows on the end 40 of rod 10. The inner compression chambers-C and D are divided by a stationary partition or diaphragm 3,'

' on which the hollow piston slides thus causing the said chambersC and D to respectively increase or enabling the fuel piston may curely bolted ecrease in size, and thus contents f these chambers to undergo a primary compressionlagainst the dia hragm 3. This diaphragm 1s supported y a central rod 11 attached securely to the center of the diaphragm, and exten ing through a bearing on piston head 43,

, which bearing 50 is provided with a packing gland 5,1 to make a tight 'oint, so that the reciprocate on t e rod 11 without And the outer end of rod 11 is cara cross-head or frame 12 that is seto the outer end'46 of cylinder 1. In this way the rtition 3 maintains a stationariy and rigi position with relation to the cy inder 1, and-dividesthe hollow piston into twoprimary compression chambers. The chamber C, adjoining head 43, is proleakage. ried by vvided with ports 21 that during the reciprocations of the piston register at one time with the circular supply port '20 and at another time withthe explosion chamber Ag,

while the chamber D adjoining head 44. is provided with a series of ports 22 that register at times with the circular su ply port 19 and at other times with the exp osion chamber B. The piston head 44 is preferably strengthened by ribs 52 lying between ports 2 l:When the piston is at one limit of its 'Y 'stroke,the ports 21 will be open to the supply port 20-and a fuel charge will be intro- (ports 21, which will. fill the chamber C, fsa-i chamber being now of its maximum size and capacity, since the head 43.is removed to itsart-hestvlliloint from the middle fixed partition 3. en the piston reciprocates and goes to the other limit of its stroke, the mixture will be compressed in chamber C until the end of the stroke is reached, when the ports 21 will open into the explosion chamber A, as shown in Figure 1, and as the primary compression in chamber C is now complete, the initially compressed fuel is transferred intothe explosion chamberA forfurther compression and ignition.

Also it will be seen that when thepistonis e in the other end of the cylinder, as shown in Figure l, the' chamber D, which@ new of ving mixture is ,more 'or less heated so mit the charges of mixture therein to be com? pressed with a secondary or final compression and then ignited by suitable means, as by ordinary spark plugs, of which I indicate e/xam les at 23.

he foregoing description of the construc- L tion and arrangement of the various parts is sufficiently ample to make it unnecessary to describe the operation in further detail. we assume that the iston is at the right hand limit of its stro e, after being driven there by a iringgf the charge in chamber A, thepants will in the position shown in Figure 1, where'exhaust from chamber A is taking place through ports 7 and 6, while chamber A is being filled by a new charge on top of the outgoing exhaust through ports 21 from chamber C. At the same time a previously introduced charge in chamber Bv is receiving its inal compression therein preparatory ,to its explosion which is about to occur; and also at this moment the lateral ports 22 in'chamberD have been brought into communication with the inlet port 19 and a charge is being introduced into chamber D. A spark plug .23 will now explode the compressed charge in chamber B, which will drive the piston up to the other; end of its stroke. On its way up the mixture in chamber D is compressed until the ports 22 are brought into communication with chamber B when the said mixture will be delivered into said chamber B, while simultaneously with suchl delivery the chamber B will open into exhaust portsf7 and 6 and the new mixture will flow in on'top of the exhaust and help to force it out; and while this is being done the charge that was introduced into chamber A is undergoing compression, in readiness for the next explosion in chamber A. Thus cycle follows cycle, after the manne-r cfa twocycle engine, and with resulting effects 'of the character I have set forth.

AMany advantages accrue from the construction and arrangement of parts which I have set forth and their relative location as indicated,.in respect to thc saving of energy by the absorption of heat and the prevention of any loss in this way, for it will be noted `that the cool stream of fresh mixture passes through the initial com- :pression chamber to the explosion chami ber each time, and not only is the unduel heat of the ex losion chamber absorbed and taken care o but alsothe colder'incom# that initially during the next upstroke of l0 introduction into the explosion c amber. It

will also be kept in mind that althou h I have described and shown a leadin an approved form of the invention wliic is particularly adapted: for effective use with rock drill mechanism, yet I do not wish to be restricted thereto and I reserve the liberty of varying and modifying the details of the invention Within widelimits and within the scope of the appended claims, and distinctly assert and insist upon my right to modify,

rearrange or reconstruct the details of thev invention along any suitable lines', in order ner. An example of means fowthis practical results, such may be found necesto secure the best changes to be made as sary to this end.

The supply of gas or fuel mixture for o erating the drill may be delivered to t e cylinder in any suitable or desirable manpurpose is shown in the drawing where the passage 15 is found 'running from a lateral member secured to'cylinder 1 by a p olt 16. Said passage 15 preferably divides i to two branches, one of which, as passage 14, leads to one end of thev c linder to the circular supply port 20 and t e other of which, as passage 13, leads to the other end of the cylinder and the lcircular supply port 19.

In the wall of the casing 24 there enters an air-pipe 36, see. Figure 2, having a check valve 37. The suction of the iston as it reciprocates will on each upstro e draw in air' past the valve 37, which will close down on the *return strk'e'sttlat'he -air-will bel held and a. certain amount of pressure created in the casing 24. The de ee of this pressure can be regulated by the irand valve 34 carried by casing 35 fastened in thewall of casing 24 at any point and said valve'` introduced will on each down-stroke of the into the' bottom of piston be forced into the central passage in the rod 10 and caused to flow therethrough the hole where the drill is operating and cutting the rock and blow dust and refuse material the dust at the cutting end of the tool away from the same and upwardly in the hole that is being drilled, whereby this objectionable will be expelled from the hole and gotten rid of, for otherwise itniight clog the operation of the drill. I thus lfurnish an easy and' convenient device for ena-bling the drillto function in a cleanly fashion and-without obstruction on account of clippings, drillings and other refuse.

It vill be'noted that the electrode 39 carried in the wall ofthe casing 24 by means of a plug or pin 38 is used as a device against lrocating through one in connection with said free which the resilent pin 41 comes into contact and acts as another electrode, ma be supported and arranged in any desire way and connections with batteries and other arts of the ignition apparatus may be ma e in such a manner thatthe spark plug or plugs 23 in the adjoining explosion chamber will be active at the proper time. And on each down-stroke of the piston a spring pin v41 will come into contact Vwith an electrode 39 after the end of the hammer 9 strikes the end of the-piston rod 10, so that the explosion in the adjacent explosion chamber will take place at the proper moment to cause the correct timing of the rebound of the iston after striking the rod 10.

biny changes in the construction and combination of the various parts may be made without exceeding the scope of my invention as set forth in the.claims.

1.y In a gasoline rock drill, the combinaa piston therein having a free member recipend of the cylinder and provided with means for carrying adrilling or cuttinvl tool, and means arranged in connection with said free member to impart a partial rotation thereto at each reciprocation in one direction, while permitting it to pursue a rectilineal movement' only during the reciprocations in the other direction, said rotating means consisting essentiallyof a ratchet wheel mounted on a free rod and and groove connection, and a series of one or' more pawls engaging the teeth of said ratchet to prevent reverse movement.

2. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder, a piston .therein having twin .interior chambers,a free member reciprocating through one end of 4the cylinder and provided with means for carrying a drilling or cutting tool, and means arran ed member to 1mp art a partial rotation thereto at each retion of a cylinder, twin interior chambers,

-ciprocation in one direction while permitting it topursue a rectilineal movement only during the reciprocations in the other direction, said means consisting essentially of a ratchet wheel mounted loosely on a vrod and connected therewith by means of a tongued and grooved connection, and a series of one or more pawls arranged around the ratchet wheel. and engaging the teeth thereof, said pawls being provided with adjusting caps and inte osedl springs.

3. In a gasoline mich drill, the combination of a cylinder having explosion chambers, a double-acting piston therein, having interior primary compression chambers, a freely movin -member reciprocating through one en of the cylinder in line with connected therewith by a tongue the piston, its inner end being adapted to be struck by the hammer head of the piston and its outer end provided with a chuckA for carrying a drill or cutting tool, all arranged so that the reciprocations of the piston will deliver a succession of blows u n the freel -moving drill-carrying mem r and there y actuate the drill. s

4. In a' gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having e losion chambers, adou le-acting pistonxlliav'ng an enlarged hammer head, a freely moving member reciprocating through one end of the cylinder in line with the piston, its inner 4end having an anvil ada ted to be struck lby the hammer head of t e iston and its outer: end rovided with a c uck for car-L rying a-dri or cutting tool, all arranged so that the reciprocations of the piston will deliver asuccession of blows upon the freely-moving drill-carrying member and thereby actuate the drill, .and means consisting of aA ratchet and pawl device mounted Yin connection with the freely-reciplrocating member for the purpose of parta y rotating the same during each reciprocation in one direction while permitting the same rod to pursue a rectihneal movement only during each reciprocation in the other direction.

5. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having explosion chambers, a differential piston operating in connection with said chambers and having inner primary compressiony chambers ported to permit theflowrof the mixture from the Kcompression chambers to the explosion chambers, a stationary partition between the chambers inthe piston, a' freely reciprocat-l ing rod mounted/in the end of the cylinder opposite the piston and adapted to cani a tool, he inner end of said rod being stru by the iston during its reciprocations, and. means or partially rotating said rod during certain reciprocations.v f

6. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having. explosion chambers, a diferential piston having inner com-- pression chambers and its middle enlarged portion operating in the ex losion chambers, means for transferring t e fuel mixture' through the piston to the explosion chambers, a freely reciprocating rod\working through one end of the cylinder and having its inner end exposed to the hammering action of the piston thereon.

7. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having explosion chambers, a differential piston having inner compression chambers and its middle enlarged portion operating in the explosion chambers, which latter chambers surround the piston, the said piston being provided with ternatel from the compression chambers to the exp osion'chambers, a relatively stationary partition in the piston, and a freely reci rocatin rod working through one end of t ecylin er and carrying on its outer end a drill or cutting implement while its inner end is exposed to the impact of blows delivered thereon by the iston.

' 8; In a gasoline rock ill, the combination of a cylinder hav explosion chambers, a' differential piston aving inner compression chambers and its middle enlarged section -operating in the explosion chambers, said piston having ports to permit Vthe charge to be transferred from the com ression chambers to the explosion cham rs, a relatively stationary partition in 'the piston,- a freely reciprocating rod workmg through one head of the cylinder in line with the iston and carrying on its outer end a dr inlet means for admitting the explosive mixture tov the cylinder and acting automatically to prevent outflow of the fuel during compression.

9. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder havingx explosion` chambers, a differential piston avinginner compression chambers and its middle enlarged pgrtion operating 'in the explosion'- chamrs, said piston aving ports to permit the char to be transferred from the com ression chambers to the e losion cham ers, a stationary partition in t e piston between the innerchambers, a rod carrying said artition, a cross member on the cylinder or sup orting said rod, a freely reciprocatmguo working through one head of the cy der in line with 4the piston and` carrying on its outer end a drill or implement while its inner end is exposed to blows from `ducing two charges of the mixture one for eachfcompression chamber, and an independent end-wise movable rod which is reciprocated by the impact of the Ipiston against the same, together with a diap ragm in the piston between lthe innerchambers, said diaphragm being held stationary on the c linder, and allowing the piston to slide ereon.

11. In a gasoline rock drill thcljcombina.- tion of a cylinder having dual explosion chambers, a differential piston containin said diaphragm being held stationary inner primary compression chambers an "having its middle portion of larger section -each compression chamber, and an independent endwise-moyable'rod which is reciprocated by the impact ofv the` iston against the same, together with a diap ragm in the piston between the inner chambers,- on

the cylinder, and allowing the piston to .slide thereon, a sprinlg contact'in the cyllnder wall, and a res' ient contact pin carried by the piston.

12. In a rock drill, ignition means in combination with a cylinder and piston and an explosion chamber, said ignition means consistmg of a spring electrode supported in the wall of the cylinder and a ringpin carried by the piston and arrangesdto strike the electrode after the' iston delivers its hammer blow upon the Intestimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN v. RICE, JR.

rilling implement. v 

